Dessert
March 18, 2009 | 
Author Pearl Cafe
28 Logan Road
Woolloongabba
Ph: 07 3392 3300
I have had Pearl Cafe on my “To Eat” list for some time now and at the end of last year I discovered that a lot of people around me had been there. I was missing out and I had to fix that. I have made a note to try their breakfast but my breakfast dining companion has been away. Instead I was taken on a cake adventure by two very good friends. These friend claimed that one of them doesn’t like caramel and the other doesn’t like sweets/desserts but they found themselves falling in love with Pearl’s caramel cheesecake.
Pearl creates their cakes in house and I was hearing story after story of my friends going all the way to the Gabba to eat cake. The next trip it as passionfruit cheesecake. One night they said there wasn’t any cake left, but since she was so eager they would go out the back and get some for her. Finally I was sick of hearing these romantic stories of cake, cake and more cake. I had to have some for myself!
It was still close enough to my birthday past that we could chalk a cake outing up as a birthday celebration. After dinner we went to find Pearl cafe tucked away amongst retro and antique stores across the road from the Gabba. There are some tables out the front sitting on fake grass with a little wooden cart by the door filled with flowers and potted herbs for sale. Inside its cosy with exposed brick wall and mirrors across one side facing the bar.
The friendly staff broke the terrible news to us. There was no cheesecake! There wasn’t even any out the back for us that night (we were there near closing time). But we had brought some wine and were ready for dessert so we put down our bags at a seat by the window and went to the bar to inspect the desserts.
The flourless chocolate cake was very moist and went down well with vanilla ice-cream.
My other half had a lemon butter cream cake with a really yummy icing.
And I had the rhubarb pannacotta. I have to admit that I had never had rhubarb before that night and I liked it. The pannacotta was smooth and tasted delicious.
Did I ever get that cheesecake you ask? I’m surprised you have to ask!
We went back another day to try again. I found even more desserts lining the bar and I can tell you that it was one of the most difficult food decisions I’ve had to make. Of course we were going to have the passionfruit cheesecake. But then there were tarts with mini pears on top, cup cakes, a sponge cake topped with the tastiest looking strawberries, two types of chocolate cake and a pistachio pear cake. There were only two of us and I was trying to decide if it was possible for us to eat one of everything. My sensibility prevailed and we ordered a slice of passionfruit cheesecake and a slice of the pistachio pear cake.
The baked cheesecake was so light and fluffy it pretty much melted in my mouth. Sadly the base on this occasion was a bit soggy, but I was told that normally its very crisp and one of the best parts of the cake. I will have to go back again for another one. I’m hoping they will have caramel next time.
The pistachio, pear cake was DIVINE. I felt bad that after hearing so much about the cheesecake (which was wonderful, don’t get me wrong) I ate more of the pistachio, pear cake.
There were tiny pears inside and the top was covered in pistachio kernels. Mmm, so tasty that we had to pack a slice of each home for the boys.
I almost forgot to mention the butterscotch milkshake I had to accompany my cake. It was so large that it was enough for two people. It was a bit of an overkill having the cake and a sweet milkshake. I could only finish half but it was so yummy I was still glad I had ordered it.
The cakes are $8 a slice, but they are worth every delicious crumb and you can save money (and kilos) by not having ice-cream with it (which costs extra). Though the chocolate cake really did taste so good with ice-cream…
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We also stumbled across Darren Purchese’s demo on making yummie desserts. Darren, who used to work for Vue de Monde, cooked up a beautiful looking chocolate pav. I don’t normally like pav but a chocolate pav sounds good! I actually ran up afterwards to see if I can try some 
And Darren was like sure! But the MC was like no, sorry, OH&S issues whilst shoving that dessert into his mouth all that time! Hummppphhhh
! It was a good diary though Normanby Chambers, Melbourne
Just wanted to show you a yummie little snack I got from lovely Panna Cotta. It’s chocolate macaroon from Cafe Vue and it’s just one melt in your mouth heaven!!!
Chouquette
Shop 1, 19 Barker St, New Farm
I finally went to Chouquette after recommending it to Monkylicious ages and ages ago. I have looked at blog after blog of Chouquette images whilst always wondering why the hell did they not open a shop when I was still living in Brisbane, or perhaps, open a shop in Melbourne?! Then when I got to Brisbane for a holiday, they were closed. How dare they?
Special thanks to Monkylicious who called and pestered Chouquette to open for me, then drove me all the way there.
Chouquette
Cuisine: French Patisserie
Shop 1
19 Barker St, New Farm
(07) 3358 6336
This may be my last post for almost 3 weeks as I will be travelling the world (well two countries in SE Asia). I said in my last post I still had four more posts to make before leaving. Somehow this has changed to 6 places but I’m simply not machine enough to finish updating. So here I will leave you with something that is further proof of my love of Chouquette.
My uncle had asked if I could bring some apple struedel to Singapore for him, but the store my cousin bought it from happened to be in Perth. Its quite a fair distance from Brisbane and not really on the way so I decided to wake up early today and bring him something delicious from my precious Chouquette! I carefully picked things that would be able to make it on the 8 hour flight! So nothing with much cream or custard sadly.
This is the loot I’m bringing over (Yes, Andrew is trying to steal my cake!)
Almond Croissants
Puff Pastry filled with Apple Puree
Tarts – Cherry and Almond, and also Pear Tarts
Fraisier – My delicious strawberry and cream cake (the one mentioned in my previous post)
This one I bought for myself for a very naughty breakfast with no intention of bringing it to my relatives. Note the before and after 
So this is what I’m bringing over for my family. Along with two dozen original glazed Krispy Kremes on request as well. And so I leave you with an image of my carry on luggage. See you in a few weeks! Brace yourself for another crazy mass update when I get back!! Sorry for those that I’m making hungry with my posts. All I can say is that the best way to deal with that is to go eat at a few of these places 
*Edit* My family in Singapore LOVED the Chouquette and Krispy Kreme treats. Apparently they’re opening a KK in Kuala Lumpur soon. The Almond Croissants were a big hit, and I heard very good things about the tarts and the apple filled puff pastry. Though now I think this means I will have to bring more each time I go over.
Sugo Mi
Cuisine: Italian Bistro & Pizzeria
3/190 Oxford Street
Bulimba
07 3395 6327
I can’t eat Dominoes pizza anymore. Not after Sugo mi.
I’m not satisfied with supermarket bought pasta anymore. Not after Sugo mi.
Situated on the hip and happening Oxford St Bulimba is Sugo Mi. Its a small restaurant, with a small bar. They don’t take reservations but we went on a Saturday night with 7 people and only had to wait 20 minutes for a table. The bar helps make the wait feel shorter and it gives you time to spy on other people’s food to help you with the decision you will soon have to make. Do you have enough money and room in your stomach to eat everything on the menu that sounds delicious? The answer of course will be no, because everything sounds delicious.
Sugo Mi is dangerously close to where I live. On the first visit we ordered the following:
Entree – Scallops sitting on a sweet potato (I think) puree with a slice of cripsy wagyu. Why did we only order 1 serving? It comes with 5 scallops, and there were two of us! We cut the lone scallop in half, because neither of us were prepared to give up a whole scallop to the other. The crispy piece of wagyu was so deliciously crunchy. I must eat more.
Side of green vegetables – very nice as far as vegetables go and covered in salt.
Pappardelle – Pasta (hand made!) with free range duck ragout, caramelized onions, wilted spinach and peppered mascarpone. I LOVE THEIR PASTA! Its HAND MADE! It tastes so much more succulent and mmm tasty than the $1 packet stuff from the supermarket. This pasta actually inspired me to go out and buy a pasta maker and I’ve used it several times now. (note: lasagne made from FRESH pasta sheets is to die for!)
Termolese Pizza – Sugo, smoked tomatoes, double smoked leg ham, anchovies, olives and bocconcini.
Personally I’m not much for smoked meats, nor anchovies, nor olives. But this wasn’t my pizza. The people I know who loved smoked meats, love anchovies and love olives said this pizza was delicious. If you are dining in then your pizza is served to you on a little wooden cutting board. Yes they have take away for the pizzas only. The only difference is that its a little more rounded for takeaway and it comes in a box. Still tantalisingly tasty.
Funghi Pizza – field mushrooms, truffled egg, mozzarella and sea salt
Now this pizza I could appreciate. I’m a mushroom fiend and this was so very tasty. The bases for these pizzas are perfect, not too thick and not too crispy.
I didn’t take any photos of the desserts, but we did try a couple of them. My choice was an apple tart (or was it pear… no I’m pretty sure it was apple). It was a very deep pan tart, with lots of yummy apples. So tasty! Must eat more! People kept stealing it from me, which was quite heartbreaking.
There was another dessert that someone on our table ordered. I can’t remember what it was called but I’ve found a photo of it from the restaurant website. They did say it was really good. But all I tried was the little fluffy thing you can see on top in the picture. It was basically an italian fairy floss. Tasted sort of like almond and sugar but with a fairy floss texture.
In conclusion: eat it!
Freestyle Tout
Cuisine: Mostly you go for the dessert
http://www.freestyletout.com.au
Emporium
1000 Ann Street
Fortitude Valley
Ph: 07 3252 0214
Freestyle has long been a frequented dessert destination for many of my acquaintances.
If you drop by on a Friday or Saturday night you will most likely find yourself in some kind of queue. On colder nights try to stand as close to the outdoor heater as possible. This will also help you when you decide that even though its the middle of winter you are going to eat ice-cream (which accompanies many of the desserts). If you are there in Summer, just try to be patient and imagine the sweet, cold dessert, sliding off the spoon onto your tongue. *Slurp* The wait shouldn’t be long, and you’ll find that the length of your wait will be relative to how many people are in your party.
You are best to either plan to visit Freestyle on multiple occassions to try all the yummiest treats. Or alternatively, bring a few friends and force everyone to order something different so the table becomes your tasting platter.
These are the things you MUST eat.
Warm Chocolate Macadamia Nut Brownie with chocolate fudge sauce & dark chocolate ice cream
A Little Bit of Queensland – macadamia white chocolate slice with caramel fudge sauce & vanilla ice cream
EAT THEM!!! The choc Macadamia Brownie was a favourite of mine, until I decided to venture to the light side and have the Macadamia White choc Slice. Now I have them both up on my dessert pedastal. Should you be feeling particularly hedonistic, perhaps you could order both to feast on at once.
Here are a few other things we have tried.
Vanilla Crème Brulee with biscotti, pistachio caramel & pistachio ice cream
There’s nothing wrong with this Crème Brulee, but I much prefer the one across the road.
Freestyle Affogato – vanilla, chocolate, macadamia ice creams with your favourite liqueur & a shot of espresso
This wasn’t my dessert so I cannot vouch for how delicious it is, only how delicious it looks.
I don’t even know which dessert this one is. It is possibly the bread and butter pudding but I really don’t remember. I’m sure it was tasty and sweet. Maybe someone can solve the mystery of the mystery dessert?
And this is mystery dessert #2.
Belle Epoque
Cuisine: French
Mains: $30 to $40
Entrees: $15 to $20
(or $40 if you get the foie gras)
1000 Ann Street
Fortitude Valley (Emporium)
Tel: 07 3852 1500
So I decided that I was going to prompt my husband-to-be to pretend he was still trying to impress me and take me out for a romantic, yummy dinner. Although I was the one who chose the restaurant and made the booking, I like to pretend that he did all the work.. well he did drive and put up with me being camera happy so we’ll call it even.
Belle Epoque is a lovely “little” (seats 100) French bistro at Emporium in the Valley. After reading about Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles I had been dreaming about hopping on a plane and going over for some steak frites, but this I guess is the next best thing if you live in Brisbane.
The decor is wonderful, and the time I spent not eating, I spent looking around and trying to imagine my dream house with a dining room like this, only smaller.
Our lovely waitress (and the service is really great) came over and introduced us to the menu. I asked (and I always try to do this at new places – you should to! It really saves you from ordering the worst thing on the menu) what the most popular dishes were. She pointed out many more than I was expecting and it probably made it more difficult to decide what to eat.
She also let us know that if we were drinking wine that because it wasn’t very busy yet that she could bring out a few for us to try before deciding. As cool as it would make me to be able to wine taste test at Belle Epoque – swivelling the glass to look for the wine’s legs – I really couldn’t go past a French Martini.
My dining partner settled on a really enormous (750mL) bottle of French beer. In true French style it came in a corked bottle that had to be popped like champagne and sat in its own ice bucket, served in a large wine glass.
Entree
Coquille St Jacques, Saumon Fumé, Purée De Choux Fleur, Basilic $18.00
Scallop rolled in smoked salmon, cauliflower puree, basil
The entree we picked was really delicious, though in hindsight I wish we had ordered two entrees instead of sharing! I also wish we had taken the opportunity to try the Foie Gras, but there will be a next time, I’ll make sure of it!
Main
Steak Frites, Béarnaise $35.00
Beef eye fillet w fries & bearnaise sauce
The steak frites was very nice. It came with a Béarnaise sauce, and whether you are meant to put this with the steak or the frites, I don’t know so we just dipped everything in it.
Main
Carré D’Agneau, Champignons Grillés, Echallotes Confites, Jus Simple $32.50
Rack of lamb, grilled swiss brown mushrooms, slow cooked shallot, lamb jus
I of course chose the rack of lamb. It was soooo good. I love lamb, but I really love good lamb. This was good lamb. I was going to get a side of Pomme Purée (Mashed Potatoes) but for some reason decided against it. Someone needs to stop me next time I say no to potatoes! To make up for it I stole quite a few frites.
Okay, the next part of the meal was my FAVOURITE. I wish I had ordered two, and had them both for myself. I haven’t had too many Crême Brulées in my time but Belle Epoque provided me with the greatest taste sensation in a Crême Brulée ever! I told my Mr. that he HAD to try it, and I’m glad he loves me enough to realise that though I kept asking if he wanted more, I secretly wanted to eat the rest of it myself. I’ll be dreaming of that dessert for a long, long time.
Dessert
Belle Epoque Crême Brulée $13.00
We ended the meal with some coffee while I savoured my dessert. I was very pleased with the whole experience. My single disappointment is that the Belle Epoque Patisserie which is right next door closes at 5pm every day so I wasn’t able to stare at lots of yummy cakes in the shop window. But there’s always tomorrow!